Raw Materials
The telescoping boom rough terrain forklift's cab, body, frame and boom are normally produced by a forklift maker. Steel is the most common materials utilized to make these because they have tremendous strength. At times steel forgings or aluminum are utilized also. It is common for non-metallic materials such as nylon plastic blocks to be used as guides in the boom assembly. The other components are usually purchased as finished products and the forklift manufacturer installs them.
Some of the pre-assembled bought products comprise the transmission, seat, axles, engine, wheels, hoses and tires, lights, back-up alarms, gauges and hydraulic cylinders. Most often, certain materials like the lubricants and hydraulic fluid and fuel are bought in bulk. These liquids are added as required once the equipment is assembled and has passed the rigorous testing sessions.
Design
The common design that is most typical of telescoping boom rough terrain forklifts is a narrow and long design that has a set of wheels at the front of the model and another set situated towards the rear of the machine. The model's boom is mounted at the forklift's back off of a pivot feature which is raised several feet above the level of the frame. Normally, the cab is mounted on the frame structure's left-hand side. Normally, the bottom half of the cab is low and located between the tires. The hydraulic fuel tank and the fuel tank are mounted opposite the cab on the right-hand side. Along the center-line of the vehicle, the engine and the transmission are mounted in the frame.
Beyond this basic configuration, different manufacturers have contributed to their own unique design. On the market now, there are many different options offered. Some models of forklifts utilize a single hydraulic cylinder in order to raise the boom, and other units utilize 2 cylinders. Some units use a side-to-side hydraulic frame leveling capability. This feature allows the frame to tilt up to 10 degrees relative to the axles in order to enable the machinery to compensate for extreme axle articulation. For example, this is utilized when the tires on one side of the lift truck are located down in a rut and the tires on the other side of the equipment are up, located on a mound of dirt.
Another common design feature comprises fork attachments that are capable of swinging up to 45 degrees both left and right, in order to allow accurate load placement.